The Postal Service has really gone to the dogs

A really boring story

Archbishop Dolan Blesses Tunnel Boring Machines

It must be a very slow news day.

NYC people! Protect your identity!

Sunday is the city's 2nd Annual Shred Fest!

Haul your old bank statements, credit card receipts, pictures of your ex'es or anything else on paper, to one of the mobile shredders and watch them disappear. Last year I got rid of 5 cartons of stuff.

(However, do hold on to your old tax returns. There's no statute of limitations on failure to file, so be prepared just in case the IRS loses track of your return from 1988.)

HT to David Marc Fischer

Plat du jour

Headline of the Day

Giant Tortoise Found In Bronx Backyard

Follow-up: Giant African Tortoise Found in Bronx Backyard Reunites with Owner

Of course he was charged with battery

Radio Shack employee punches customer

Amtrak rant, continued

Now I've learned that if Amtrak reschedules your train, not only do they fail to tell you about it, they also remove your reservation from their automated ticketing system. You have to go and get your tickets from an agent--after waiting on a 20+ minute line and almost missing your train. (The reason I didn't learn about this last time was that my train had already left when I arrived at Penn Station, so I bypassed the ticket machine and went straight to the line.) Grrr.

Semi-random thoughts

● My health insurance company sent me a notice of a modification saying:

Section XIII. Definitions have been updated to include the following definition of Spouse:

Spouse: A person's partner (husband or wife) in a legal marriage. For purposes of Dependent eligibility under this Certificate, spouse includes same sex partners who are married in jurisdictions that recognize same sex marriages.

How nice.

● I just got a notice that tickets to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular go on sale this week. Rushing the season a bit, I'd say.

● Now two weeks in a row I've had to choose between seeing two performers playing at the exact same time. One usually has a monthly show, but the other three seldom play in New York, at least on weeknights.

Plat du jour

What is the matter with Amtrak?

Amtrak did it to me again--rescheduled my train without informing me (they have my e-mail address and my phone #). Fortunately I knew to check, and this time it is only a 10 minute difference--so I probably would be OK. Last time they moved my train up 30 minutes, and I just missed it.

Headline of the day

Swiss heartland voters ban nude hiking

Weekly free associations

1. Soul :: Food


2. Fold :: Dotted line


3. Breakup :: Marriage


4. Will :: Power


5. Fond :: Farewell


6. Powers :: Boothe


7. Ho-hum :: Drum


8. Hustle :: Do the


9. Avenue :: Street


10. Tower :: Records

HT to Unconscious Mutterings.